Secret Warriors #1This is a tough book for me to review. First of all, I loved the art; Caselli draws a heck of a book here, giving us different believable body types, facial structures, a great-looking hardened old Fury, some nice action, and good quieter moments. And the characters are well-crafted; Hickman gives good dialogue and paints Fury as super-street-smart badass, Quake as his right-hand agent, and the other Secret Warriors with just enough quirks to distinguish them from each other (although they're really hardly in it...this is first and foremost a Fury book, which is why I liked this issue and really WANT to like the rest of the series). HOWEVER...the problem with this book at its onset is that the whole plot, all the action, everything, is centered around and derived from a patented current-Marvel "everything you know is a lie!" major retcon twist, which in this case, if it's true, pretty much creates HUGE plot holes for and calls into question 45+ years worth of Marvel history. I think there's a very strong book in here; I think the kids can be developed slowly over time and provide their own stories. I KNOW Fury can work in a book like this. I just don't know how well the initial premise here will work, or for how long. The quicker this book moves past the giant retcon and finds another raison d'etre for continuing, the better this book will be in my opinion; liked it, but very afraid it could collapse under its own weight.

Entree:

Secret Six #6HO. LEE. CRAP. I can no longer express in words how much I love this book. I just can't. Simone and Scott are crafting a gorgeous, funny, action-packed, thrill-a-minute book here where the standard "so-and-so could never happen to the main characters" formula is thrown out the window, and where anything can happen. Every issue I find myself rooting for these guys, pulling for them as a team like the JSA or JLA, and then every issue Gail throws one more reminder at me that no matter how likable she's made them, these are BAD people. In this issue, the Six confront Junior and learn her "origin", retrieve Bane, hop in a limo to Gotham, and make a very eventful pit stop. We as readers get treated to Janette's origin, see her shamelessly grope and flirt with Deadshot, learn who hired the Six to retrieve the card (which is such an obvious, logical, and future story-setting reveal that I can't believe I didn't see it coming), and witness a shockingly swift and brutal status-quo-changing betrayal, which unless it's revealed to be a dream sequence or somebody has some powers that haven't been shown yet, caused a quick death for one of the team. We also get the first (I think) Origins and Omens, which is honestly I think is a waste of page space as an idea, but was handled well here. I absolutely LOVED this issue.

Dessert:

Immortal Iron Fist #22Danny and the weapons (except Davos) go to Hell, and find out it really ain't a nice place to visit. That's really about all I can tell you other than, as usual, the story was fun, and I wish I liked Travel Foreman's art more than I do. I liked it.

Secret Warriors #1This is a tough book for me to review. First of all, I loved the art; Caselli draws a heck of a book here, giving us different believable body types, facial structures, a great-looking hardened old Fury, some nice action, and good quieter moments. And the characters are well-crafted; Hickman gives good dialogue and paints Fury as super-street-smart badass, Quake as his right-hand agent, and the other Secret Warriors with just enough quirks to distinguish them from each other (although they're really hardly in it...this is first and foremost a Fury book, which is why I liked this issue and really WANT to like the rest of the series). HOWEVER...the problem with this book at its onset is that the whole plot, all the action, everything, is centered around and derived from a patented current-Marvel "everything you know is a lie!" major retcon twist, which in this case, if it's true, pretty much creates HUGE plot holes for and calls into question 45+ years worth of Marvel history. I think there's a very strong book in here; I think the kids can be developed slowly over time and provide their own stories. I KNOW Fury can work in a book like this. I just don't know how well the initial premise here will work, or for how long. The quicker this book moves past the giant retcon and finds another raison d'etre for continuing, the better this book will be in my opinion; liked it, but very afraid it could collapse under its own weight.

Entree:

Secret Six #6HO. LEE. CRAP. I can no longer express in words how much I love this book. I just can't. Simone and Scott are crafting a gorgeous, funny, action-packed, thrill-a-minute book here where the standard "so-and-so could never happen to the main characters" formula is thrown out the window, and where anything can happen. Every issue I find myself rooting for these guys, pulling for them as a team like the JSA or JLA, and then every issue Gail throws one more reminder at me that no matter how likable she's made them, these are BAD people. In this issue, the Six confront Junior and learn her "origin", retrieve Bane, hop in a limo to Gotham, and make a very eventful pit stop. We as readers get treated to Janette's origin, see her shamelessly grope and flirt with Deadshot, learn who hired the Six to retrieve the card (which is such an obvious, logical, and future story-setting reveal that I can't believe I didn't see it coming), and witness a shockingly swift and brutal status-quo-changing betrayal, which unless it's revealed to be a dream sequence or somebody has some powers that haven't been shown yet, caused a quick death for one of the team. We also get the first (I think) Origins and Omens, which is honestly I think is a waste of page space as an idea, but was handled well here. I absolutely LOVED this issue.

Dessert:

Immortal Iron Fist #22Danny and the weapons (except Davos) go to Hell, and find out it really ain't a nice place to visit. That's really about all I can tell you other than, as usual, the story was fun, and I wish I liked Travel Foreman's art more than I do. I liked it.